Bag clip



1963 r w. L. BRUNSON 3,112,542

- BAG cup Filed lay 1, 1961 FIG. I

I? Q l8 |9 2 l5 Q hii FIG. 2

mmvzm WARD L. BRUNSON BY 41,- WW

l llS ATTORNEY United States Patent 3,112,542 BAG {SUP Ward L. Brunsou, 8726 West, 315-3 South, Magna, Utah Filed May 1, 1961, Ser. No. 1.663%]. 2 Claims. (Cl. 24-695) This invention relates to means for tightly closing plastic bags and, more particularly, to a new and improved metal clip which is easy to close and to release, and which provides a constricting action in tightly securing the formed necks of plastic bags.

In the past plastic bags have been closed by means of wire, clips in the form of intercooperating, detent teeth, and rubber bands, all of which present an inconvenience, when the bags are to be opened. The inventor has designed a clip which will overcome this objection with equal ease in the opening and closing action.

Accordingly, an object or" the present invention is to provide a new and useful clip for closing plastic bags, thereby to provide air-tight containers for bread, food, and other desired objects.

A further object of this invention is to supply a novel clip that can be opened easily by the use of a lever arm, causing the contents of the bag to be easily accessible.

According to a preferred embodiment of the present invention the clip is made of resilient metal, such as tempered sprin steel, or of resilient plastic or other suitable material and includes an arm which is curved in at each end, with one end bent in S-shape to terminate into a release lever arm portion for opening the clip, and the other end bent to enclose an end area which receives the bag to be closed. When the clip is open the neck of the plastic bag is inserted into the clip and is urged into this end area; then the clip is snapped shut, imposing an airtight seal on the bag. For opening the clip so as to release the bag, the release lever portion is merely pushed back and the neck of the bag is released.

The features of the present invention which are believed to be novel are set forth with particularity in the appended claims. The present invention, both as to its organization and manner of operation, together with further objects and advantages thereof, may best be understood by reference to the following escription, taken in connection with the accompanying drawings in which:

FIGURE 1 is a plan view of the clip in open condition.

FIGURE 2 is an elevation taken along the line -A A in FIGURE 1 showing the clip attached to and tightly securing the neck of a plastic bag.

FIGURE 3 is a plan 'vieW of reduced size showing the clip in the closed condition.

With reference to the drawings, the clip ll) comprises a release lever portion 11, bend lit, a first curved portion 13, a first elongate portion 14, terminal curved portion 15 delineating with portions 14- and 2-2 of the bag closure area 16, second elongate portion 18 including concave bend l7, engagement curved portion 19, third elongate portion 2%, bend 2.1 and an extremity final portion 22 which touches the concave outward bend 17 at point 23.

The unique features of this clip include the lever portion 11 which provides a lever action, upon the application of thumb or finger pressure at P, for easy releasing of the clip; curved portions 13 and 19 which provide in their inter-cooperation a locking action; and first elon- Patented ec. 3, 1 .5233

gate portion 14- and bend 21 which, through the provision of bend 17 make an extremely tight contact when the clip is closed, so that the bag cannot slip between surfaces of elongate portions 14 and 2%. This insures that the air-tight seal of the bag will be preserved. Terminal curved portion 15 and bend 17 provide tension so the clip will spring to the open position. Bend 17 is unique in that it positions first elongate portion 14 at such an angle that it clears bend 21 sufiiciently for the bag to be slipped through the opening and also insures the tight contact of bond 2-1 and first elongate portion 14 when the clip is closed. Concave bend 17 also makes it pos sible for the area 16 to be constricted in size when the clip is closed by enabling the cam action of portion 22 at its end sliding down the related portion of curve 15, thus squeezing the material of the bag 24 together so as to provide an air-tight seal.

In operation the neck '25 of bag 24 is slipped through the opening between bend l2 and engagement curved portion 1% until it rests in position in end area 16. The clip is then closed by squeezing it between the thumb and index finger, for example, at portions 14 and 13, by the application of inwardly directed pressure. As the clip is closed space 15 is reduced in a manner above decribed, squeezing the bag so as to make the air-tight seal. Curved portions 13 and 19 inter-engage, locking the clip in the closed position.

The clip may be opened by providing an upward pressure at P on release lever portion 11. This pressure can be provided by th thumb while the remaining end of the clip is held with the other hand. This pressure distorts bend 12 and urges it slightly in a direction to the right, thus releasing engagement curved portion.

While particular embodiments of the present invention have been shown and described, it will be obvious to those skilled in the art that changes and modifications may be made without departing from this invention in its broader aspects, and, therefore, the aim in the appended claims is to cover all such changes and modifictions as fall within the true spirit and scope of this invention.

I claim:

1. A resilient closure clip for closing the neck of plastic bags and the like, said clip comprisin a release lever portion extremity, a doubled back bend contiguous with said release lever portion, a first curved portion contiguous with said bend, a first elongate portion contiguous with said first cunved portion, a terminal curved portion contiguous with said first elongate portion, a second elongate portion contiguous with said terminal curved portion, and an inwardly directed, engagement curved portion contiguous with said second elongate portion and selectively engaging said first curved portion, said engageinent curved portion when so engaged being retained by said doubled back bend, said release lever portion being so disposed that pressure applied thereto releases said engagement curved portion from retention by said doubled back bend, wherein said second elongate portion is provided with a concave outward bend, and wherein said clip also includes a third elongate portion contiguous with said engagement curved portion and adjacent to, interior of, and engageable with, said first elongate portion, and, as the remaining extremity, a final portion directed toward and continually engaging said concave bend at its convex side, said final portion, said concave bend, said terminal curved portion and a part of said first elongate portion 1,412,813 Aves Apr- 1.1, 1922 forming an end area to tightly close the gathered 1166 1,459,382 Wagner June 19, 1923 of plastic bags and like when said engagement curved 1,505,461 Guy-Qt et a1 Aug. 19, 1924 pcriion is engaged with said first curved nortion. 1 00 34 rg b Sept 21 19 25 2. A clip according to claim 1 wherein the end of said 5 2 2 39 Grimes at 1 Feb 17 1953 final portion is disposed to slide down said concave bend toward said terminal curved porticn as said clip is being FOREIGN PATENTS closed.

Referenees Qited in the file of this patent 293*489 Switzerland 1953 UNITED STATES PATENTS 10 350,850 Tatum Oct. 12, 1886 V 

1. A RESILIENT CLOSURE CLIP FOR CLOSING THE NECK OF PLASTIC BAGS AND THE LIKE, SAID CLIP COMPRISING: A RELEASE LEVER PORTION EXTREMITY, A DOUBLED BACK BEND CONTIGUOUS WITH SAID RELEASE LEVER PORTION, A FIRST CURVED PORTION CONTIGUOUS WITH SAID BEND, A FIRST ELONGATE PORTION CONTIGUOUS WITH SAID FIRST CURVED PORTION, A TERMINAL CURVED PORTION CONTIGUOUS WITH SAID FIRST ELONGATE PORTION, A SECOND ELONGATE PORTION CONTIGUOUS WITH SAID TERMINAL CURVED PORTION, AND AN INWARDLY DIRECTED, ENGAGEMENT CURVED PORTION CONTIGUOUS WITH SAID SECOND ELONGATE PORTION AND SELECTIVELY ENGAGING SAID FIRST CURVED PORTION, SAID ENGAGEMENT CURVED PORTION WHEN SO ENGAGED BEING RETAINED BY SAID DOUBLED BACK BEND, SAID RELEASE LEVER PORTION BEING SO DISPOSED THAT PRESSURE APPLIED THERETO RELEASES SAID ENGAGEMENT CURVED PORTION FROM RETENTION BY SAID DOUBLED BACK BEND, WHEREIN SAID SECOND ELONGATE PORTION IS PROVIDED WITH A CONCAVE OUTWARD BEND, AND WHEREIN SAID CLIP ALSO INCLUDES A THIRD ELONGATE PORTION CONTIGUOUS WITH SAID ENGAGEMENT CURVED PORTION AND ADJACENT TO, INTERIOR OF, 